This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. A vehicle may include a dual heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system for conditioning the air in a passenger cabin of the vehicle. For instance, the dual HVAC system includes one HVAC system dedicated for the front passenger compartment and a second HVAC system dedicated for the rear passenger compartment. The dual HVAC system heats and cools air blown through respective HVAC systems using a heating heat exchanger (i.e., a heater core) and/or a cooling heat exchanger (i.e., an evaporator). The dual HVAC system has two independently operated systems that have essentially the same components, and can be disposed adjacent to each other.
As the HVAC system(s) operates, water condensation from the components begin to collect. A drainage port is usually provided as part of the housing of the HVAC system for discharging fluid, such as water and air, from the housing. The dual HVAC system includes a separate drainage port for each of the systems.
With the rising cost of material, there is a need to reduce the cost and complexity of such dual HVAC systems. Development in dual HVAC systems has led to integrated components, which are components utilized for both HVAC systems (e.g., integrated evaporator). However, when developing integrated components, it is important that the two HVAC systems continue to operate independently from one another. Furthermore, the operation of one HVAC system should not affect the performance of the other HVAC system.